Bill Cosby Trial Judge Releases Names of Jurors

By Maryclaire Dale , Michael R. Sisak and Alicia Victoria Lozano

Jurors in the Bill Cosby trial were told by the court Wednesday that their names will be released. NBC10's Deanna Durante spoke with legal experts who say the judge may have made the wrong decision.

(Published Thursday, June 22, 2017)

The judge who presided over Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial on Wednesday ordered the public release of the identities of the jurors who deadlocked in the case.

Judge Steve O'Neill granted a request by by a dozen media organizations, including NBC News, to release the juror's name under the condition that they would not publicly divulge what other jurors said during deliberations.

A judge will decide Wednesday whether to release the names of the jury involved in the Bill Cosby trial to the public.

(Published Wednesday, June 21, 2017)

O'Neill cited the media's First Amendment rights and Supreme Court precedent in ordering the release of the names. But he forbade jurors from talking about what other members of the jury said in the deliberating room or from revealing any votes cast in the case.

"Any disclosure of what was said and done during deliberations in this case would give a chilling effect upon the future jurors in this case and their ability to deliberate freely," he wrote. "Further, future jurors will be reluctant to speak up or to say what they think when deliberating if they fear that what they say during deliberations will not be kept secret."

Lawyers for several media outlets argued at a hearing Tuesday that jurors' names should almost always be public to ensure transparency in the judicial process.

Lawyer Eli Segal, arguing on behalf of the Philadelphia Media Network and other outlets, said jurors should be free to discuss their backgrounds, the sequestration process and their individual views, even if — under O'Neill's order in the case — they do not disclose the jury split or other jurors' comments.

An alternate juror who took part in the Bill Cosby trial is speaking up after it was declared a mistrial. NBC10's Deanna Durante has the details.

(Published Tuesday, June 20, 2017)

"This is a critical part of the justice system," Segal argued. "We are entitled to them."

O'Neill, who has already had the case for nearly two years, sounded skeptical. He plans to retry the case within four months.

Cosby, who turns 80 next month, is accused of drugging and molesting a woman at his home in 2004. Dozens of other women have also accused him of sexual assault, but this was the only case to result in criminal charges.

"When we were selecting a jury, we were very adamant about their privacy," the judge said at the hour-long hearing. "Just because they have signed up to do their civic duty in this case should not necessarily impose a lot of media upon them."

Both prosecutors and defense lawyers opposed the media's request. Like the judge, they worry about finding 18 unbiased jurors for the retrial of the case, given the worldwide coverage of the comedian's first trial. Hundreds of journalists descended on the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown for the trial.

The initial jury was selected from the Pittsburgh area and spent two weeks sequestered 300 miles from home. The seven men and five women deliberated for more than 52 hours without reaching a verdict on any of the three counts.

Also Tuesday, the woman whose police complaint led to the trial thanked supporters.

Alternate juror Mike McCloskey said Monday he was "ridiculously sick" when he found out the main jury couldn't reach a verdict. He says he "probably" would have voted to convict, though he did not take part in the deliberations. He found the taped phone call played in court between Cosby and Constand's mother, in which Cosby described the sexual encounter with her daughter, particularly disturbing.

Pennsylvania law allows the public release of jurors' names, but judges have discretion to keep them a secret under certain conditions. McCloskey first came forward to a Pittsburgh radio station.

Bill Cosby's defense team sees his mistrial ruling as a victory. NBC10's Aundrea Cline-Thomas spoke to Cosby's defense team about the outcome of the trial.

(Published Sunday, June 18, 2017)

O'Neill advised jurors when the trial ended Saturday that they didn't need to discuss the case.

"It can never be clearer that if you speak up, you could be chilling the justice system in the future if jurors are needed in this case," O'Neill told them.